Cars to move over for cyclists?

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Should drivers be legally required to pull over one metre to pass a cyclist?

Nova Scotia became the first Canadian province to pass that law in December, and now a cycling lobby group is asking the Manitoba government to do the same.

Bike to the Future wrote to Transportation Minister Steve Ashton and Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau last week to formally propose that the government make it illegal to pass a cyclist on the road without leaving at least a one-metre buffer between the vehicle and the bike.

The lobby group has identified the change as the top priority on its legislative wish list.

"It's really just to be sure the cars understand they shouldn't come so close to a bicycle," said Charles Feaver, chair of Bike to the Future's provincial committee. "Cars will leave a metre if they're going by a concrete post or a parked vehicle, but they won't leave that much room for a cyclist."

Feaver said he doesn't expect police officers to be out on the streets with rulers making sure the law is followed. He said it's mostly about educating drivers so they "make a conscious effort" to pass cyclists safely, which Feaver believes will improve cycling safety much more effectively than would any kind of mandatory helmet law.

A spokeswoman for Ashton said the government is reviewing a number of proposals related to active transportation, including the one metre rule.